GAME 3 MONMOUTH: Yes they can score but....

[Salvi's Headband]

A little too much gloom and doom on here, people with concerns about Ace’s health make it sound like he is going in for an MRI today on a potential ACL tear or something…..chill……R-E-L-A-X…...he had cramps. If the defense looks like this in mid January then this team’s ceiling will be limited. However, it is still mid November. Everything @bac2therac pointed out in the recap as usual was a great summation of the game, spot on. I am fully confident that this type of defense is not acceptable with Pike. However, I think people may have unrealistic expectations if they expect this team to be a top 10 or top 20 defense. Can they and should they look better than the second half on defense last night? Absolutely, 100% agreed. But, the offense is going to drive the bus when it comes to winning this season and the defense is just along for the ride. This is not a team that grinds out 63-61 rock fight wins on a regular basis (and Amen to that).

I said the same type of things while watching the second half “where is the defensive intensity?” “Pike can’t be happy right now with this defense and effort”. Give them time but if the expectation is for this group to be a lockdown, shutdown, speed limit defense then that is just unrealistic. They need to improve and need more consistent effort, focus, and intensity on defense but just realize this is an offense first team and some may never be happy with the defense.

I think conditioning might be an issue. I also think lack of intensity up 20 in the second half played a role.

 

[seansherm]

The recap and complaints about defense are bizarre....and makes no sense at all.

In recent years, we all have watched plenty of North Carolina, Duke, Wake Forest, Kansas, Arizona, Michigan State, Purdue, Kentucky and plenty of ranked schools or "offense first" programs.....and games get played in 70s and low 80s most times.

MOST programs who are trying to win, have to have an ability to match "basket for basket".

We have played with mostly limited skilled, limited shooting and incomplete basketball players for most of the Pike Era and we can name maybe RU 7 to 8 complete basketball players in this era (dribble, pass, create, shooting and improvise scoring, when a defense is winning a 1 on 1 battle).....

Most of this era would have made St Peters a dogfight and maybe a Derek Simpson or Mawot Mag or another incomplete offensive player BUT stronger defensive player slows down Randolph of St Peters or doesn't allow Bashir 17 3 point attempts....but Randolph is still going to score points and maybe Bashir doesn't get 17 3s if Simpson or Mag type of player is playing 30+ minutes, but it's maybe 11 3s....??

In either case, A Simpson or Mag non-scoring/non shooting threats aren't offsetting Bashir or Randolph hitting shots, so this game would be a 5 point nailbiting game and it's 77-72 RU instead of cruising to a 98-81 RU victory.

This transition of how RU would play started LAST year and it only showed up with a flickering light in a few games, but the style and pushing the pace was being showcased.....it Just lacked the offensive creative players or finishers and lacked the spot up shooting to compliment the guards.

PJ Hayes......Zach Martini.....Lathan Sommerville, Ace, Dylan.....they're scorers, creative players and willing passers....why on earth would we whine about defense on Bashir, when we are 2 missed layups and a bizarre layup taken away from JMike Davis, from 6 more points and 104 on the board??

We CAN decide to play like the methodical, 65-62 types of games, but there's no Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper or 4 2025 HS recruits, signing up for that. We can just play the more athletic Dylan Grant or Bryce Dortch with Ogbole, run the shot clock down and ask Dylan and Ace to manufacture 50 points by themselves and wait for those 2 freshman to figure out how to score, rebound AND defend on the job......

OR take our chances with Zach Martini, PJ Hayes and Lathan Sommerville to learn how the rotations work on defense, while keeping the pressure on defenses and help Dylan and Ace, play to their strengths, of driving, scoring and keeping the lanes clear.

It is a new era of basketball and I am certainly willing to take my chances that Martini, Hayes, Sommerville improve on defense while maintaining their high offensive skills, vs asking limited players to score 12 to 14 points with lock down defense 30 games in a season.

it is more likely that opponents like Randolph and Bashir don't have career rights. You just cant win, unless you score points. RUs evolution towards offensively skilled and creative players with freedom to improvise......and away from limited offensive players who can only play defense, started last year and is in full swing this year......get used to it!!!

Tell me we're going to shoot 60% every night, 50% from 3, and you'll be right. Monmouth isn't good and we gave them a season high in points and their closest game I think? When the talent level is good, you need defense combined with increased offense.

 

[seels2662]

We scored 98 points on 70 possessions (+28 in my book). This is the wrong game for this.....plus it isn't true.

....and they aren't Jordanesque...more like Grant Hill and Kevin Durant

Lol are we really having a debate on which type of NBA HOFs we have

 

[RUDivision]

I don't like this take at all. Jwill can give us something on both ends of the floor. I know everybody is Gaga over Derkack right now, but I wasn't gaga with him at St. Johns - I felt he looked overmatched at times. Derkack has looked great against the cupcakes, but they are leaving after this week and will be replaced by real comp - let's see how impactful he is against high D1 guards. Selling on Jwill right now is the wrong approach for so many reasons - we will need him no matter how things go.

Oh i agree with Dercack but we need to surround Ace and Dylan with shooters especially when Ace is playing PG and running the offense. Jwill is way down the list as an option to help them. He can steal min w the second unit but not starter minutes

 

[RUDivision]

Oh i agree with Dercack but we need to surround Ace and Dylan with shooters especially when Ace is playing PG and running the offense. Jwill is way down the list as an option to help them. He can steal min w the second unit but not starter minutes

Dylan playing pg not Ace! Dumb mistake!

 

[winfield102]

I thought Monmouth was fool's gold. A bunch of mid-range jumpers and tough threes that went in.

We basically had completely uncontested catch and shoot 3's and strong drives to the hole. I think there were only about five possessions where I did not like the shot for RU.

 

[cm_13]

One positive I took away from this is when Monmouth cut it to 10 or 11 and Pike called a timeout, the next few possessions Rutgers came out engaged on defense and got stops. It showed me they are capable of playing better defense than they played in that game and maybe they had checked out of a game against an inferior opponent.

I don’t think is going to be an elite defensive team like we are used to seeing from Pike, but I expect this team to continue to get better on that end of the floor. And I definitely expect them to look more dialed in in the second half of games than they did last night.

 

[Rhuarc]

Can anyone tell me the last time we scored 100

They said 2016 on the postgame radio show yesterday i believe....

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

I thought Monmouth was fool's gold. A bunch of mid-range jumpers and tough threes that went in.

We basically had completely uncontested catch and shoot 3's and strong drives to the hole. I think there were only about five possessions where I did not like the shot for RU.

correct...but i am looking at RU and our offensive output

 

[winfield102]

It would have taken five (or more?) games last year to get the number of uncontested 3's and strong shots at the rim that we got last night. We have guys that will consistently hit open shots.

When the ball is in Harper's hands and Derkack's hands, good things happen.

I just don't think we're going to see anything like we're used to seeing on defense.

I'm more concerned about eliminating the poor shots we used to have to settle for. For example, LS taking a 17-footer early in the shot clock can't happen. Got to know your role on offense. Only Dylan and Ace are allowed to shoot that shot.

 

[PaKnight]

if you think we will be 11-20 from 3 and 25-32 from 1 most nights it isn't.

I am the 1st guy when we shoot poorly to say it isn't as bad as it looks.

Normalize our shooting and what do you get.....
7-20 from 3 or 35% (-12 points)
23-32 from 1 or 71.9% (-2 points)

-14 points

What would happen if you normalized Monmouth’s shooting, especially Bashir’s?

 

[BoogieKnight]

It’s not like we are a program who never played defense. It’s the core of everything Pike stands for. It will improve as the season goes on. Again, I’m looking for what we do in Feb/Mar, not Nov/Dec.

 

[RedTeam1994]

What would happen if you normalized Monmouth’s shooting, especially Bashir’s?

You’re wasting your time with this guy

Rutgers shoots well = fluke

Monmouth shoots well (including bashir who probably had a once-in-a-lifetime game) = RU sucks on defense

It’s the lens he sees everything, all the time, without end or interruption

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

What would happen if you normalized Monmouth’s shooting, especially Bashir’s?

Of course….this is about Rutgers beating Monmouth though.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

You’re wasting your time with this guy

Rutgers shoots well = fluke

Monmouth shoots well (including bashir who probably had a once-in-a-lifetime game) = RU sucks on defense

It’s the lens he sees everything, all the time, without end or interruption

So wrong. Oodles of past I can pull up where I do the same analysis when the board thinks the sky is falling.

If you are going to make accusations be accurate. You are dead wrong here

Found this after the SHU loss. Wasnt wrong about Gavin either.

GAME 10 Seton Hall: The Needle and the Very Fine Line

although I thought we would win, i did think this was going to be a lot tougher than most thought due to the OSU hangover. Too many turnovers and too many missed layups, but still this was a winnable game.... There was a brief moment where the RAC once again came alive. RU a couple of stops...

rutgers.forums.rivals.com

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

We lose to Wisconsin and shot terribly. I call out BAC

GAME 12 Wisconsin: Truth is Rutgers is not a good team

FWIW, the +/- Wisconsin(-6) Myles Johnson 25:20 -4 Geo Baker 29:51 -2 Montez Mathis 17:44 -15 Ron Harper 31:49 -5 Jacob Young 32:31_-5 Paul Mulcahy 26:53 +5 Cliff Omoruyi 14:40 -2 Caleb McConnell 21:20 -2 In this 1-5 stretch, 1st OSU(-12)- Mathis -26/32 min, Douc -20/21 min, Myles +16(15)...

rutgers.forums.rivals.com

 

[rubaseball78]

They lost by thirty to undermanned Temple missing guys

Did you listen to post game? They lost to Temple because they didn’t give an effort according to coach and player.

 

[PaKnight]

Of course….this is about Rutgers beating Monmouth though.

Huh?

 

[PaKnight]

Did you listen to post game? They lost to Temple because they didn’t give an effort according to coach and player.

Sports is not transitive, each game is different.

 

[socaldave]

We scored 98 points on 70 possessions (+28 in my book). This is the wrong game for this.....plus it isn't true.

....and they aren't Jordanesque...more like Grant Hill and Kevin Durant

How about now?

 

[fluoxetine]

Just let the season play out whiner.

 

[socaldave]

We scored 98 points on 70 possessions (+28 in my book). This is the wrong game for this.....plus it isn't true.

....and they aren't Jordanesque...more like Grant Hill and Kevin Durant

How about now! 😂
Btw ball in Harper’s hand last possession Rutgers wins
The kids last 3 possessions where JORDANESQUE, having lived in Chicago from 85-93 I think I know the definition.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

No he is Grant Hill and Ace Bailey is Chris Morris

 

[socaldave]

No he is Grant Hill and Ace Bailey is Chris Morris

Jordanesque is a mindset Dude, that’s what it means!
It’s used to describe greatness.
You didn’t respond to my question about running a structured offense?
Even Michael Jordan benefited from structure as do all the best.
The offense we are currently running is offensive and a crime!

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Sorry you are wrong on many fronts……

We most certainly have an offensive structure and run plays. I sit across from the bench and i see it every game. I will listen and discuss the content of what we do and run.

As far as Jordanesque. No! No! No! 99% dont have Jordan hunger to win and 99.9% dont have his ability. He has a way to go on the latter.

I think Harper wants to win more than most, but he should not be in any conversation with Jordan

 

[socaldave]

Sorry you are wrong on many fronts……

We most certainly have an offensive structure and run plays. I sit across from the bench and i see it every game. I will listen and discuss the content of what we do and run.

As far as Jordanesque. No! No! No! 99% dont have Jordan hunger to win and 99.9% dont have his ability. He has a way to go on the latter.

I think Harper wants to win more than most, but he should not be in any conversation with Jordan

Time for new plays more structure and a new coach.

 

[fluoxetine]

Time for a new poster.